The Murray Hill Theatre first opened in 1948 as an 814-seat, single-screen movie theater. Jacksonville Mayor Frank H. Alsop was in attendance for the theater’s debut screening, which featured John Wayne’s “Red River.” The fact that the building was air-conditioned was a big draw for patrons.
It remained a one-screen theater for decades, quickly becoming a neighborhood staple. In the late 1980s, the space saw new life when the River City Playhouse, a children’s theater group, added a stage and began hosting daytime performances for young audiences.
By the 1990s, however, Murray Hill was experiencing a downturn, and the theater’s parking lot became a hotspot for drugs, prostitution, and crime. The theater eventually shut down in 1993 and was converted into a goth nightclub called The Dungeon, which only lasted about six months.
A Test of Faith
Around this time, Tony Nasrallah took an interest in the vacant building. Nasrallah had grown up in a Christian family but had fallen away from the church. As a young adult, he struggled to control his drinking and partying. Rediscovering his faith at the age of 20, Nasrallah began seeking a healthy environment where he could share his faith journey with others. He eventually found himself at a small coffee shop at the corner of Timuquana Road and Ortega Farms Boulevard, where a local Christian rock band would perform every Friday night. Nasrallah fell in love, both with the community of young adults struggling to walk the straight and narrow and with the Christian rock genre.
“A lot of people think it’s cheesy, but to me, when you combine music with strong lyrics straight out of scripture designed to build you up and encourage you, that’s great,” Nasrallah said.
After a couple years of attending every Friday night, Nasrallah left for two years to attend the University of Montana, where he met his wife, Anne. When he returned to Jacksonville, he discovered the strip mall where the coffee shop was located had been torn down. Still, the impression it had made on him remained.
Soon after, Anne and their two boys were aboard Continental Airlines Flight 1713 when it crashed while taking off from Denver. Their two sons -two years and six months old – were killed. Anne survived, but with severe injuries. The ensuing five years were the hardest of Nasrallah’s life, but his faith got him through it.
“It’s the only reason I’m not a raving drunk in a gutter shaking my fist at God,” Nasrallah said.
Anne’s recovery was slow, but ultimately she defied the odds, and medical professionals, by learning how to walk and drive again.
They were also blessed with two more sons. People from different churches and across town stepped up to support them throughout their lengthy recovery, leaving Nasrallah with a profound sense of gratitude, which led him to seek a way to give back and create a space for others to experience the faith that had sustained him through so much.
In 1995, he leased the Murray Hill Theatre and opened it as a venue for Christian musical performances and worship.
Murray Hill Ministries
Nasrallah founded Murray Hill Ministries and transformed the space into what is now Murray Hill Theatre – a drug- and alcohol-free live music venue that theater volunteers say has played a significant role in revitalizing the neighborhood.
“It has become a cornerstone for positive cultural and spiritual outreach in the community,” said Brandon Forschino, who handles the theater’s communications.
The Murray Hill Theatre has withstood the Great Recession, multiple hurricanes, and a pandemic, and remains strong.
Gradually, the rest of the neighborhood’s fortunes have also turned around, with many of the vacant storefronts on Edgewood Avenue South gaining new businesses.
“When I started it, I really didn’t know if it would last six months or six years and now 30 years later, it’s pretty incredible,” Nasrallah said.
To mark its 30th anniversary, the Murray Hill Theater will be celebrating all August with thirty acts in thirty days. A diverse set of genres and styles will be represented, including hip hop, country, and rap. The festivities kicked off with a free night of worship July 31 and a free birthday party August 2. The lineup predominantly features groups that sold out in the past, including Phil Keaggy and Tenth Avenue North – tickets are available at murrayhilltheatre.com.
